Experts: Common Women's Condition Needs a New Name

Jan. 24, 2013 -- What’s in a name? If it’s polycystic ovary syndrome, a lot of confusion, says a panel of experts convened by the NIH -- and they’re calling for a change.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders, affecting about 1 in 10 women in the U.S. It’s also a major cause of infertility. But as doctors have learned more about the complex condition, they’ve changed the way it’s diagnosed. As a result, a woman doesn’t necessarily have to have polycystic ovaries to have PCOS.

“It does have a branding problem in the sense that people assume that it’s all about obesity; people assume that it’s all about diabetes; or people assume that it’s all about polycystic ovaries,” says Ricardo Azziz, MD, MPH, MBA, an obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in PCOS. Azziz testified before the NIH panel. He’s also president of Georgia Regents University in Augusta.

New Name Could Foster Funding, Education

Currently, no one medical specialty claims PCOS. That makes it tough to get funding for research. It’s also difficult to educate patients and doctors about the serious and sometime long-term consequences of the syndrome.

Women with PCOS don’t ovulate regularly. They also overproduce or are overly sensitive to male hormones, like testosterone. The result is a collection of symptoms that can seem unrelated. Those may include: